Bittul, the opposite of yeshus, means nullifying the self. But it does not mean crushing one’s personality; it means dedicating oneself to a higher purpose than self, and constantly striving to achieve that purpose. When a person is buttel, he functions without being aware of himself.

It is written,23 “You are a G-d who hides.” G-d says, “I hide Myself from you, but the purpose of My hiding is that you should come and search for Me. But instead of searching for Me, you go away and busy yourselves with other things.”

On Simchas Torah, we do not make a special increase in the time we spend studying; basically, what we do is sing and dance with the Torah scrolls. Simchah, joy, is the main feature of this holiday.

The depression that dulls a person’s sensitivity and should be avoided is termed atzvus. The type of feeling bad that spurs a person towards positive activity is referred to as merirus, “bitterness.”

When a person is happy, he stands above all his personal limitations and weaknesses. He can do things that he ordinarily could not do. He can forgive his worst enemy. His joy generates inner energy that breaks through and shatters any barrier that stands in his way.

In other words, the situation itself may be painful or unpleasant, but it will lead to a positive outcome. If we were to know the positive results from the outset, we would decide that it is worth enduring this negative experience for the sake of the positive experience. Rabbi Akiva taught that even when a person does not have such foreknowledge,

When, by contrast, a person who feels cut off from G-d and very distant from Him labors to establish a bond with Him, he will experience far greater feelings of love than a tzaddik could possibly experience. Why? Because he is confronting an inner challenge. He senses that he is separate from G-d, and must strive to reestablish his connection.

When we are b’simchah, in both a physical and spiritual way, we bring joy to ourselves, our families, and all the people around us.

The soul and the body function as a single entity. Although they have different sources, as long as a person is alive, his body and his soul share a single identity,